Rating of Watercourse Bank Stability Through Riparian Herbal Communities

• Main Authors: Mariana Jakubisová, Matúš Jakubis
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Mendel University Press 2017-01-01
• Series: Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis
• Subjects: riparian vegetation; torrent; factor of stability; RipRoot model; BSTEM
• Online Access: https://acta.mendelu.cz/65/3/0849/
• ISSN: 1211-8516; 2464-8310

Riparian vegetation performs an important and irreplaceable role in the countryside. The paper deals with the stabilizing effect of herbal communities on the banks of watercourse Breznický potok in geomorphological unit Kremnické vrchy (Central Slovakia). We analyzed the relationships between the vegetation coverage VEG % (%) and factor of stability (Fs) which was computed according to Bank Stability and Toe Erosion Model (BSTEM) on experimental banks. We also analyzed the relationships between VEG % (%) and BEHI (Bank Erosion Hazard Index). The value of aditional cohesion cr was calculated by RipRoot Model in BSTEM for present vegetation. The research was conducted on 20 experimental sections with 20 experimental profiles with the presented vegetation coverage (%) based on the detected percentage of grass and herbaceous on the riparian banks. The calculated results of Fs were evaluated in accordance with existing erosion damages of experimental banks which were determined in the terrain through visual classification. Research has shown a strong correlation between vegetation cover of bank VEG % and a stability factor Fs (correlation coefficient Iyx = 0.976) and between VEG % and BEHI (Iyx = 0.956). Data according to BEHI and BSTEM show similar results (Iyx = 0.912). The results were statistically tested.